Obturator Internus Bursitis Mimicking Groin Pain in a Football Player: A Case Report

Traumatic groin pain (GP) is frequently the result of acute trauma, often an indirect muscle injury. The most affected muscles in traumatic GP are the rectus abdominis, adductors, and iliopsoas. The obturator internus bursitis as a cause of GP is very rare.

The present case describes a rare indirect injury of obturator internus bursitis in a 22-year-old male football player who reported GP that used to worsen with sprinting and change in directions. The pain was relieved with rest and sprinting at 80% capacity. The patient had been diagnosed clinically and on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a case of obturator internus insertional tendinopathy with bursitis. His symptoms resolved after ultrasound-guided injection in the inflamed tendon sheath at its insertion point. After 2 years, the patient was followed up with a triumphant return to professional football with no recurrence and a good prognosis in a relatively short recovery time.

Clinical diagnosis of obturator injuries is often tricky. GP not responding to conservative management presents a unique challenge to the physician and the rehabilitation team. MRI must follow the radiological investigations and ultrasound if the reports were inconclusive of the diagnosis. In the present case study, the usual causes of such pain (osteitis pubis, and adductor muscle strains/tendinosis) were ruled out, and a specific unique condition was diagnosed with the help of the MRI.